In a world where attention spans are rapidly diminishing: video advertising is king.

The pervasiveness of technology and media platforms can make or break Internet marketing campaigns, depending on how efficiently each medium is used and in what combination. The average US adult spends over 5 hours a day using some form of digital media, and each offers their own benefits as a marketing medium for your business and social media marketing strategies.

Additionally, digital media is often jumbled together. As an example, people don’t tend to watch videos and then switch over to Facebook – oftentimes they find the videos they are watching on Facebook. To put it in perspective, between April 2015 and November 2015 (only a 7 month period), the amount of average daily video views doubled from 4 billion views per day to 8 billion views per day (Constine) – if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million.

Creating an effective internet marketing campaign is like playing a game of chess, except every time you play the board is different and the pieces are different and the rules are different. Between ever-evolving technology and the fickleness of the consumers themselves, there are an incredible number of moving pieces, which is exactly why it’s an industry unto itself. It can be difficult for a business to learn both its own industry, as well as how to effectively market itself to maximize potential and reach clientele. However, one thing is becoming clear: the consumption of videos is on the rise, and businesses are capitalizing on that growing trend by integrating it into their social media efforts.

The past year has, in many ways, proved to be a significant one in digital medium trends. The use of digital video in 2011 ranked 3rd out of the top 5 forms of digital media; however, in 2015 it surpassed Facebook and all other social networks, and now claims 1st place and now averages nearly 2 hours each day of media usage for US consumers (eMarketer). Two hours a day is huge, and represents a marketing resource your business should most certainly b tapping into. Furthermore, consumers use videos as a major factor to make their buying decisions: 90% of online shoppers say they find video helpful in making shopping and buying decisions (Follett). Video also has a major effect on Search Engine Optimization and can increase click-through rates by 65%.

Technology trends may be ever-changing, but the use of video has only just begun to dominate the digital medium. To ignore the pervasiveness of digital media is to do so at peril of your business, and to utilize it is to tap into an existing infrastructure that can provide immeasurable power to your marketing efforts and expanding your practice’s sphere of influence.